About Us

Dartmouth Museum was established in 1949. The Henley Museum existed before that; its history is detailed in the Henley Collection.

The decision to create a general Museum about Dartmouth was taken on 11th July 1949 with Percy Russell in the chair (he wrote the first authoritative history of the town) and the first special exhibition was opened on August 22nd of that year by the Mayor. This was in the old Library in Newcomen Road – now back to being a private house.

The Museum moved into the Butterwalk in 1954 and was opened on 14th April of that year. Again, the leading light of getting the Butterwalk itself restored after war damage and then getting the Museum moved into it was Percy Russell

2017 Trustee List can be viewed by click here